over recently revealed that he is living with Alzheimer’s disease, adding one more familiar face to a growing conversation about memory, aging and the families who quietly carry the weight of the illness and its impact on their loved one.
Mr. Glover said he was diagnosed several years ago. Speaking publicly for the first time about his diagnosis on July 1 with Lester Holt on the Today show, Mr. Glover said Alzheimer’s will change his life, but it will not define it. The 79-year-old actor shared that his diagnosis came shortly after receiving an honorary Academy Award in 2022. His decision to speak openly arrives as millions of Americans are asking what they can do today to protect their brain health before memory problems begin.
A new report from the Alzheimer’s Association, “2026 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures Special Report: American Perspectives on Brain Health,” found that Americans are increasingly interested in protecting their brains long before memory problems appear.
Among the report’s findings: nearly all Americans believe brain health is important, yet many do not know the specific steps to reduce their risk of cognitive decline. Additionally, most adults are willing to make lifestyle changes if they understand the connection between everyday habits and long-term brain health. Many, however, still do not know which everyday habits may lower the risk of cognitive decline.
Researchers continue to point to familiar practices: regular exercise, controlling blood pressure and diabetes, eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, staying socially connected and continuing to learn throughout life. None offers a guarantee, but together they appear to strengthen long-term brain health.
Much of that advice sounds familiar.
Long before Alzheimer’s became part of the public conversation, the Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad emphasized discipline in eating, moderation, what foods to eat and stay from and caring for the body before disease appears. His Teachings in book one and two of “How to Eat to Live” were not written as a guide to preventing dementia, yet they reflect the same preventive philosophy many physicians encourage today.
Mr. Glover’s announcement matters for another reason.
Black Americans are disproportionately affected by Alzheimer’s disease, yet few well-known Black public figures have spoken openly about living with it. Among those whose diagnoses became public are boxer Sugar Ray Robinson, gospel music pioneer Thomas A. Dorsey and civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
Many families never tell their stories.
Stigma remains. So do misconceptions about aging. Delayed diagnoses are common. Behind nearly every person living with Alzheimer’s is someone else whose life has also changed: a spouse, daughter, son or sibling who becomes a caregiver, often without training, sleep or much support.
Sister Dr. Khalillah Ali, who is based in Dallas, knows that reality well.
After her mother’s death, she realized her stepfather, Dwayne Walker, could no longer live safely on his own. She brought him from another state to live with her in Texas after discovering he had burned his hand and was struggling to care for himself. Soon she found herself awake through the night as he wandered through the house and worried constantly about leaving him alone while she worked. Her story is familiar.
Across the country, millions of relatives quietly reorganize their lives around someone else’s diagnosis. Careers change. Savings disappear. Sleep becomes interrupted. The emotional toll is harder to measure than the financial one, yet both are real.
Older Black Americans are about twice as likely as older White Americans to develop Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia. Researchers largely attribute that disparity to higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and unequal access to healthcare over a lifetime rather than to biology itself.
That makes prevention especially important.
Physicians encourage families to talk with healthcare providers early when memory changes appear instead of dismissing them as ordinary aging. Healthy habits adopted years before symptoms develop may reduce risk and help preserve brain function.
Danny Glover’s announcement reminds us that Alzheimer’s does not distinguish between celebrities and ordinary people. Every diagnosis touches a family. Every caregiver has a story.
Bringing those stories into the open may become one of the strongest tools for replacing fear with understanding.
